Advertisement
China's military weapons
ChinaMilitary

Chinese state TV tells J-10 origin story as Pakistan proclaims the fighter jet’s feats

CCTV airs a documentary on the aircraft days after China said J-10CE export variant shot down Indian planes in battle near Kashmir

2-MIN READ2-MIN
9
The J-10, a single-engine, multirole combat aircraft, entered service in the Chinese air force in 2003 and gained international attention most recently in the Pakistan-India clash near Kashmir. Photo: CCTV
Phoebe Zhangin Shenzhen

Riding high on the combat success of China’s weapons systems, state broadcaster CCTV has rolled out a two-part documentary on the development of the J-10 fighter jet to inspire “young people to love the party and country”.

The Legend of the J-10, which shows how the Chinese air force played catch-up to develop the jet, started showing on Wednesday on National Memory, a daily programme about the history of the Communist Party and China’s development.

The broadcast comes just days after China confirmed that Pakistan Air Force J-10Cs shot down Indian Rafale planes in combat earlier this month, a feat that set off a wave of national interest in the aircraft and its associated weapon systems.
Advertisement
The J-10, a single-engine, multirole combat aircraft, entered service in the Chinese air force in 2003. The J-10C is the most upgraded version of the series, equipped with a better engine and more advanced active electronically scanned array radar. It can launch PL-15 missiles and is described as a 4.5-generation fighter.
02:29
Chinese nationalism surges across social media as viral video mocks downed Indian jets
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told parliament on May 7 that J-10C jets had shot down Indian warplanes, including three French Rafale fighter jets. While Delhi did not confirm the news, a French official reported losing a Rafale operated by India in the conflict.
Advertisement

On Saturday, in a clear reference to the Kashmir conflict, a CCTV military programme said the J-10CE – the export variant of the J-10C – had for the first time marked an achievement “in a real battle in recent days”, and that it had shot down a handful of foreign jets without losing one in conflict.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x